West Ham extended their unbeaten league run to three matches as they swept aside Manchester United with a 3-1 victory at the London Stadium.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side looked buoyant and energised from the first whistle to the last, clearly lifted by their recent results including an away victory at Everton and a draw against the imperious Chelsea side who sit third in the Premier League table.
The Hammers continued their recent run of form in front of a sold-out home crowd and they were quick to open their account for the afternoon against a fragmented United side.
After clever work from Pablo Zabaleta on the right, the Argentine whipped in a cross to Felipe Anderson, who directed the ball goalwards with a deft touch; it was the Brazilian’s first league goal since his club-record £36m move from Lazio, though the class in not only his finish but his all-round performance was a reminder as to why West Ham were willing to spend such a fee.
United were certainly in the game, countering swiftly and utilising their full-backs Luke Shaw and Ashley Young, but they lacked a clinical cutting edge to dispatch West Ham who themselves were putting United under serious pressure throughout.
As the half-time whistle loomed, United and Jose Mourinho’s afternoon got that bit worse after clever work from Andrey Yarmolenko. After having scored a brace in West Ham’s 3-1 win against Everton, the Ukrainian was playing with considerable confidence and lined up a shot on the edge of United’s box.
Yarmolenko hit it with vengeance, though United centre-back Victor Lindelof could only partially block the shot and it cruelly deflected past David De Gea to double West Ham’s lead going into the break; a Lindelof own-goal, though the Hammers were certainly in the ascendancy.
After both sides emerged for the second half, neither with any changes, United were clearly desperate to get themselves back in the game. A superb cross from Young in the 63rd minute found Marouane Fellaini, who directed a bullet header on target but the Belgian was denied by an outstanding save from Lukas Fabianski.
Though soon after United were back in the game – a corner from Luke Shaw was met by Marcus Rashford, and despite Fabianski’s best efforts he was beaten at his near post. United had their foothold, and all they needed to do was dig in deep and charge for the equaliser.
However, their momentary hope was short-lived, and West Ham put the game to bed. Marko Arnautovic was slid through by Mark Noble, and the Austrian made no mistake with a clinical finish to put the Hammers 3-1 up. The London Stadium was in raptures, and Pellegrini’s side held on to secure their first home win of the 2018/19 Premier League season.
West Ham start to shine under Pellegrini
After four consecutive losses to commence their 2018/19 Premier League campaign, questions were already being asked of Pellegrini and his side after a considerable summer spend and the acquisition of some marquee signings including Jack Wilshere and Felipe Anderson.
The Hammers have responded in emphatic fashion, extending their unbeaten run to three games, four including their 8-0 demolition of Macclesfield Town, and now sit in 12th prior to the remaining games in the seventh round of fixtures.
Chilean Pellegrini seems to have truly got his side gelling and playing some outstanding football, with Marko Arnautovic proving yet again why he is West Ham’s most important player with a crucial goal to put the game out of United’s reach. The Hammers are flying, though if they were to keep up this form, just how far could they go?
Has Mourinho lost his dressing room?
Prior to kick-off, the headlines in the build-up to this encounter had been dominated by Mourinho’s publicised spat with Paul Pogba, who was stripped of the United captaincy prior to their defeat against Derby County in the Carabao Cup.
With United chasing the game, Pogba was substituted on 70 minutes for the more typically defensive Fred, further outlining the clear disconnect between player and manager; though a one player feud is seemingly disrupting the chemistry of an entire squad.
With the 3-1 loss to West Ham, United have made their joint-worst start to a Premier League season in their history, and if there were questions previously over the tenability of Mourinho’s position, then this defeat will only further emphasise just how much pressure the Portuguese manager is under.
Marko Arnautovic: West Ham’s talisman
Austrian forward Arnautovic is often a player who divides opinion, especially following his then club-record move from Stoke City to West Ham, with many suggesting he was too inconsistent to warrant such a fee and that the Hammers had made a poor purchase.
Put simply, Arnautovic has defied all preconceptions and is in the form of his life, leading the Hammers’ charge up the Premier League table and attempting to attain cult status with the West Ham faithful in the process.
He is a terrific player, his performance against United yet again outlining his attributes as a talisman, a fighter, and most importantly a clinical finisher who snatched his opportunity to put the game to bed and in the process gave West Ham their first home win of the 2018/19 Premier League season.
Man of the Match: Mark Noble.
A captain’s performance. Noble dominated the middle of the park and set the tempo for West Ham’s play. He played through Arnautovic for their crucial third goal and put in an outstanding all-round performance in central midfield.
